All Aboard! Andy Martin whistle-stops across Illinois

U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin will whistle-stop across eastern and central Illinois Thursday, January 28th campaigning in Chicago, Kankakee, Champaign, Mattoon and Effingham for his plan to build a “21st Century” high-speed passenger rail network. Martin will ridicule Barack Obama’s “19th Century” proposal to marginally increase train speeds. Martin says Obama’s timidity will never create jobs or stimulate the economy. Martin favors a “Manhattan Project”-style campaign to “design and build” new high-speed rail networks on an emergency basis. “We must have a ‘fierce urgency of now’ to build major public improvements (where have we heard that phrase before?),” Martin says, “not a lackadaisical plan to spend billions on worthless incremental improvements.” Martin favors competitive bidding and private sector control of the new “land grant” program to rebuild America’s transportation network. Warren Buffet: are you listening? Martin will also slap his opponents Mark Kirk and Patrick Hughes for being political frauds.

“Obama is proposing improvements to a 19th century system,” Martin says. “We need a ‘Manhattan project’-style program to build a 21st century high-speed rail network in Illinois and parts of the Midwest.

“A 21st century high-speed rail plan would create hundreds of thousands of jobs. If we proceed on an emergency basis with a simultaneous ‘design and build’ approach, we can start building within months.

“What does high-quality high-speed rail cost in the long run? Zero. The added value to our economy, the added real estate values in communities along the high-speed rail network would pay for the system.

“Property in Kankakee would skyrocket if there was a high-speed train to the loop in thirty minutes. Champaign? One hour. People could commute from Champaign to Chicago. Mattoon and Effingham? One and a half hours. Carbondale? Two and a half hours. By comparison, Obama’s plan to spend billions on worthless improvements to a broken system would add little value to the economy. It’s typical Barry Obama: too little, too late, too timid. Thank God this guy is not Commander-in-Chief.

“High speed rail would tie this state and region together. People could live in their homes and commute to central cities. Our children would no longer have to move to the coasts to find excitement and economic opportunity.

“America’s private enterprise built the ‘war machine’ that saved the world in World War II. Private enterprise can save America in 2010 if we will only have the courage to think big thoughts and invest in our economic future,” Martin says. “This is not a Republican thing or a Democratic thing. This is an American thing.” Martin holds an Economics degree from the University of Illinois.

Martin says all of his opponents in both parties lack the vision and courage to propose major infrastructure investments.

Martin will also slam Mark Kirk and Patrick Hughes as political pretenders who are lying to the people of Illinois.

Martin will attend the Effingham County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner Thursday evening at the Effingham Knights of Columbus Hall.

AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting background in radio and television and is the dean of Illinois media and communications. He is currently promoting his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask and producing the new Internet movie “Obama: The Hawai’i years.” Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of http://www.ContrarianCommentary.com.

Martin comments on regional, national and world events with more than four decades of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

Andy’s columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com.
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